My body and hands are shaking

I am 48, almost 49. My periods are very irregular. Recently my hands have started shaking. This is visible to other people. I also shake from inside, which is not visible to anyone. My heart is pounding and I have a lot of anxiety. Does this sound related to peri menopause? I do not shake at night, nor do I have hot flashes or night sweats.

Although, some women experience shaking and tremors during peri/menopause, it is not peri nor is it menopause. Tremors and shaking, which may come under the category of movement disorders, may be caused by many different conditions.

In addition to the anxiety do your ever have symptoms of depression? OCD? Depersonalization (feelings of being outside your body)? Do you have any acid reflux? Stomach/bowel problems? Do you have problems remembering things, putting together sentences? Have you ever (even years and years ago) had colds/sore throats/headaches that were worse than ususal and that didn't go away?

I ask these questions because internal shaking/tremors/motors purring/vibrating sometimes suggest Lyme Disease which often presents with a cold or flu like symptoms that last a long time or come and go over the years. As the disease progresses, other body systems are affected...sometimes the reproductive/urinary system (irregular periods, yeast), sometimes the neurological system (tingling hands and feet, etc.), sometimes the bones and muscles (arthritis, TMJ, etc) and so on. So if any of the symptoms are familiar to you, I would suggest you consult with a Lyme Literate Medical doctor for diagnosis and possibly treatment because that's the only kind of doctor who can diagnose and treat that condition.

PS It is common for these symptoms to come and go and vary in intensity...that is just one reason people don't make the connection to the first symptoms that occurred years prior...

Betsheba, thank you for taking the time to write your response.
I do suffer from depression, I always have, more or less, and I do have mild OCD which worsens when I am under stress. I have a lot of anxiety.
I have had pain in my right breast and the pain went up to the shoulder and back. I went recently to the doctor, they listened to my heart and did a chest ex ray and told me that everything is fine.
I feel very, very overwhelmed and very tired. It is hard to get up in the morning, but once I am up, I feel ok. I have two young children that I had late in life and they are both very energetic.
There have been other times when my body has been shaking from inside, but this is first time that my hands are shaking. This is not happening all the time, today my hands are fine, but yesterday they were shaking most of the day. Yesterday I had a very stressful day and maybe that was the reason. I feel a lot of stress over health issues and immediately picture the worst. I am afraid that the shaking of the hands could be parkinsons. I always feel that a horrible disease is just around the corner.
Thanks again for your response.

An immediate member of my family had Parkinson's (which you probably know is one of many "movement disorder's") for more than 10 years. I'm not a health care professional, but based on my personal observations, it doesn't sound like Parkinson's to me.

The fact that your symptoms are chronic, and can't be explained by your docs again suggests Lyme. Some specialists in our country think that as many as 1/2 of the chronic conditions, whether it be arthritis, IBS, allergies, sinus, depression, whatever, are caused by Lyme.

Congratulations on your little ones...I come from a family, with multiple generations of planned "late" babies...I'm sure you'll all benefit by the differences in ages...don't know quite how else to put that, but I think you understand.

PS You might search the Lyme boards for "natural" remedies to see if they would ease your symptoms. Hot salted baths, vitamins, and exercise may improve the way you feel IF you have Lyme, but it wouldn't cure the condition.

Thanks again, Bethsheba. I am going to research Lyme's disease. I am not at all familiar with it, but I've heard of it.
Speaking of "late babies", I married late and was lucky enough to get pregnant twice, so I have 2 very active boys.
Thanks for alerting me to that this could be Lyme's.

... I am going to research Lyme's disease. I am not at all familiar with it, but I've heard of it.

I might suggest some of tickers and jojo's threads because they have been diagnosed, and treated by LLMDs, and their posts contain some excellent resources (lists of symtoms and treatments, books, etc.). Lyme is a relatively "new" disease so there are many myths and there is alot we don't know...so don't stop reading. Too many people I "talk" to say read a couple of posts, say they don't have the rash, and stop reading...don't do that, keep reading. Also, keep in mind that many government websites contain outdated info...and some very good info on diagnosis and treatment is available from international lyme specialists. Please note, that I personally limit my searches to government and educational sites, due to the volume of info out there...

As someone who has many friends (and had many, many relatives) who had late babies, I can only imagine the joy you must feel having your little ones. My maternal and paternal grandmothers started their families in their forties...my mother started her family later, too (education and careers came first for several generations) but despite this, I was blessed to have my extended family in my life for many, years.

I had started a post some time back about Internal Trembling and Shaking and was amazed at the response. You can probably pull up the old posts. The response was amazing. So many of us have this symptom. I had started with this symptom last April and am pleased to say that it has changed somewhat and has become more manageable. I think that it is extremely important to always check every avenue to be sure that you are not missing another cause for this problem. Do what you have been doing and research...there are soooo many things written on this subject relative to menopause. And so many of them mention the internal trembling and shaking...I dont think that it is a coincidence...I do believe that it can be/is a symptom/effect of menopause. It is difficult because we want some way to confirm that it is symptom...however...the only way is process of elimination...and eventually you may be left with the fact that it may be your body responding to the hormonal changes that are happening inside. I have tried a variety of supplements and have changed my diet. Hang in there and educate yourself as best you can...but know that once all tests tell you it is not something more serious...it could be...peri/menopause! Interesting enough...when I started really feeling lousy last year and was talking to my mother about what she was feeling during her menopause she told me that she remembered feeling like she was always "riding a bus...a constant vibrating inside."...that helped a bit and eased some anxiety! Almost anything is possible at this transitional time but becoming more fearful just fuels the anxiety...so be proactive and get the info you need to keep yourself healthy!

Thank you for the replies. The first thing I plan to do is change my diet. I already eat somewhat healthy, but I want to start paying more attention to my diet. I also want to, at least try, to not make a big issue of everything. I am very high strung and small things seem often large in my eyes.
I don't have a good relationship with my mother and don't feel comfortable asking her how the peri and menopause was for her.
When the anxiety and other symptoms, like heart pounding, gets bad, I take valium, which most of the time helps me.
I just have to hope that the menopause symptoms won't get too bad. I know that it is different for different women, so you just have to ride it out.

negot, keep in mind that with perimenopause, the entire hormonal chemistry of your body is changing, so you are going to feel all sorts of weird sensations, some similar to what people here experience, and some very unique to just you. If you already have anxiety then that will increase while your system is going through all of its changes. I know, because I used to call myself the 'Anxiety Queen'...and I studied up on it extensively, saw doctors and continued to live with it for years. It's much better now, but I'll always have it to a certain degree because it's just part of my body's makeup. Some people are real laid back and a bomb going off hardly stirs them, and then some of us would jump through the roof in the same situation. If I were you I would also check this out with my doctor as a process of eliminating any of the conditions suggested by others - that will give you peace of mind, which is worth it's weight in gold!

Since you're so high strung, have you mastered the proper breathing techniques that will help your body calm itself down? It can be done....